Trip Index
***
Saturday was a day at sea, so we got up at our leisure, ate at the buffet and explored the ship.
Day 2 Cruise Compass and inserts:
Not wowed by the main dining room food last night, we made reservations at the two specialty restaurants on board:
Chops Grille, a steakhouse, and Portofino, which served Italian cuisine. Tonight was formal night, but we went to Chops Grille for dinner instead. (smart casual dress code) I noticed that lobster was on the main dining menu as a "premium selection" every night for an additional charge, even on formal night.
Day 2 main dining room menu:
Chops Grille menu ($35 per person dining fee):
Portofino menu ($20 per person dining fee):
When we got back to our room to change for dinner, a "Welcome Back Party" invitation was delivered.
 |
| free cocktails tomorrow night :) |
There weren't a lot of people at Chops Grille when we arrived at 7pm. I think our waiter was surprised by the "small" amount of food that we ordered. He encouraged us to have more, so we added some side dishes.
The food overall was okay, somewhat better than the main dining room, but I didn't feel like I had to eat here again. My favorites from the meal were the bread, asparagus, mushrooms, and sorbet.
 |
| yummy pretzel bread with softened butter |
|
 |
| mushroom soup |
|
 |
| crab cake |
|
 |
| beef carpaccio |
|
 |
| pan-roasted scallops |
|
 |
| snapper veracruz |
|
 |
| fuzzy pic of slow-braised short rib |
|
 |
| asparagus, mushrooms and creamed spinach |
|
 |
| red velvet cake |
|
 |
| huckleberry cheesecake |
|
 |
| lemon sorbet |
We returned after dinner to find our first towel animal of the cruise.
 |
| time change tomorrow! |
Sunday morning, Jewel of the Seas sailed into the Inside Passage. It was nice to be able to step outside on the balcony and view the mountains all around us.
 |
| Inside Passage cruising |
|
 |
| the bridge from our balcony |
|
 |
| other ships docked in Juneau |
We had a ship's excursion this morning - a "
Pilot's Choice" glacier helicopter ride. I purchased it ahead of time since I read that there were only 6 seats available and may have sold out if I waited until embarkation. If the weather was bad and reduced visibility, the excursion could be canceled (like what happened to us in
Franz Josef Glacier in New Zealand) but today was a perfect day, with balmy temperatures in the mid-60's.
Day 3 Cruise Compass and inserts:
Once docked in Juneau, our excursion tickets directed us to go to the theater for check-in. We met with cruise staff near the stage, got numbered stickers to place on our jackets, then took a seat, waiting for our number to be called. When it was our turn, we followed cruise staff off the ship and boarded a shuttle to take us to the
Temsco helicopter terminal.
The six of us were asked our weight, led into a room to watch a safety video, then were outfitted with life jackets and glacier boots that went over our existing footwear. No purses or bags were allowed on the copter so personal belongings were locked up in a cabinet. You could only bring your camera or phone. The pilot assigned seats on the helicopter based on weight distribution and Kaleb and I were lucky to get the front two seats.
Our helicopter was ready and we followed a marked path on the ground to be sure to avoid the spinning blades.
 |
| our helicopter awaits |
|
 |
| sitting in the front |
|
 |
| our microphones were muted - listen only |
Our first time in a helicopter! It felt strange to fly straight up with no need for a runway. What views!
11-second clip of the area after liftoff: (click
here if you cannot see the preview below)
33-second clip of flying through a mountain gap: (click
here if you cannot see the preview below)
Then we landed on Lemon Creek Glacier. When we touched down, the pilot nudged the helicopter left and right so that the landing skids could wedge deeper into the snow and lessen the risk of it sliding off the mountain...eek.
 |
| on Lemon Creek Glacier |
|
 |
| a bit foggy up here |
|
 |
| fresh bear tracks? |
We got back into the helicopter and flew to another glacier - Herbert Glacier. The views going there and on the glacier were spectacular.
23-second clip of the glacier: (click
here if you cannot see the preview below)
We landed on a huge sheet of ice so no worries about sliding off.
 |
| water melting down |
|
 |
| crisp and refreshing! |
|
 |
| debris makes the ice melt faster |
|
 |
| waterfalls everywhere |
|
Then it was time to return...boo hoo! I highly recommend going on a glacier helicopter tour (or any flying tour) for the scenic views. If you don't want to fly, there are many glaciers in Alaska (for example,
Alaska's Best Roadside Glaciers) and in Canada (such as Athabasca Glacier that
we have hiked) that you can easily reach.
 |
| sharp turn! |
|
 |
| bye bye copter |
|
We asked the shuttle driver to drop us off in town rather than return to the ship, so that we could walk around, then catch first dinner at
Tracy's King Crab Shack, a place I had read about on
Yelp. It was an outdoor counter-service restaurant, so thankfully the weather was great. It was a bit hard to find, but fortunately I saw their sign down an alleyway. We ordered the #1 Crab Shack Combo plus an extra leg, beer and root beer on tap. It was pricey, but when in Alaska...
 |
| this place reminds me of friends Rachel and Jeff |
|
 |
| oldest man-made tourist attraction in Juneau |
|
 |
| we got homemade ice cream...it was warm today |
|
 |
| such large gems |
|
Jewel of the Seas was parked in the furthest berth from town so it was a bit of a walk. If we were on
Regent Seven Seas Navigator (which I had sailed on over 10 years ago), we'd just have to walk a few steps to the ship, as it was parked right behind Tracy's King Crab Shack.
 |
| see Jewel way off in the distance? |
We then had second dinner in the buffet. The tuna roll was quite sad; I don't know why people were rushing to get them whenever the sushi chef replenished the tray. The cooked fish was decent.
 |
| a buffet pic since I hadn't included one yet |
We returned to our cabin to find a new towel animal.
 |
| rabbit |
Sail-away from Juneau at sunset was breathtaking. Having our own balcony to enjoy the view was the best. We ended up not going to the "Welcome Back Party" and just relaxed in our cabin.
Tomorrow, we dock in Skagway, rent a car for the day and drive into the Yukon. Stay tuned...
***
If you came here from a Facebook or Twitter link, thanks for clicking the "Facebook Like" button below or retweeting!
Don't miss a blog entry! Sign up for updates direct to your inbox
here or add the blog to your
RSS feed.
Getting excited reading about these trips and want to go? Contact me at
yellowdogtravel at gmail d0t com
for more information! Or if you've already put a deposit on a cruise
through the cruise line, contact me to get more information on
transferring the reservation to me to get bonuses like extra onboard
credit or gifts. I have lots of happy returning clients - references always available.
Come check out my other blog "
What in the world is Kat Kong doing now?", documenting things other than traveling...sign up for blog updates direct to your inbox
here!
Previous post:
Preparations, getting to Vancouver, embarkation
